A Passing Coincidence
by feshnie
Summary: In which Izaya accidentally stumbles upon Tanaka Taro in Ikebukuro. Set before episode 3.


Title: A Passing Coincidence

Author: feshnie

Rating: G

Summary: Izaya accidentally stumbles upon Tanaka Taro

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Even some of the dialogues aren't mine.

Warning: slight OOC, based off the anime.

A/N: This is just something I imagine might've happened before episode 3. Izaya was staring very interestedly at Mikado so it got my fangirl mind running. Hopefully you like it!

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><p><span>A Passing Coincidence<span>

_Kanra  
><em>Good evening~

_Tanaka Taro  
><em>Kanra-san Σ(ﾟдﾟ) shock!

_Tanaka Taro  
><em>You were here!

_Kanra  
><em>I was actually on the phone- ( ´∀｀)

_Kanra  
><em>Ah

_Kanra  
><em>I just read through. You're coming to Tokyo?

_Kanra  
><em>Congratulation~s

_Kanra  
><em>Want to meet?

_Tanaka Taro  
><em>Ah, sounds great

_Kanra  
><em>Right~

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><p>Ikebukuro was a big place and often times, a very lively location. There wasn't one type of human that you couldn't find there. Every day brimmed with bustle and life. It was one of those cities that knew not what sleep meant. Bad and good things happened in quick succession that it was hard to focus on one so it became hard to focus on one life-changing issue for long.<p>

Ikebukuro had its share of monsters too, be it in mortal form or not but that was not the main focus for tonight's event.

In fact, he wasn't sure if this was something that one should even focus on.

One Orihara Izaya had travelled to Ikebukuro even under the threat of being caught by the monstrous bartender for a few reasons. At the moment, he had completed a portion of things he needed to get done and was merely making his way home.

If he were to put a name on his feelings now, he'd quickly say that he was irritated even when a smirk graced upon his lips. The irritation stemmed from one dullahan who had tempered upon one of his humans. It wasn't anything big though so he didn't mind it all that much. It was also interesting.

Irritating because it didn't go his way; interesting because he was given more insight to the confusing dullahan's personality. By a bit. It probably wasn't even anything big but it was information.

Izaya took a pause in his steps as he checked his phone. There was a new mail from his client. It wasn't something he needed to pay much attention to though.

Just as he was about to tuck his phone back in, he heard boisterous laughter emit from an apartment building just a corner's turn from his spot. He recognized the laughter of one of the boys and his smirk stretched wider as he practically waltzed to the edge of the alley so he could peer at the source of the noise.

As expected, Kida Masaomi was happily chatting with another boy, making exaggerated and ambiguous hand waves.

Izaya casually leans on the wall, watching them with interest, unmindful to whether or not those two will notice him. He takes a moment to study the boy Kida was speaking to. The dim lighting didn't help much in making his face discernable but he could see enough to know that this boy was as average as any boy could get, whether by looks or personality.

"It's getting pretty late. Maybe you should return home," the boy said to Kida worriedly. "I don't want you to get into any trouble on your way home."

"Don't worry, Mikado!" Kida replied, letting his hand fall heavily on the other's shoulder. Mikado staggered forward a bit but righted himself almost immediately. "I know this place like the back of my hands. I'll know which place to avoid. I'll show you them some day."

This boy, called Mikado, only nodded.

"I should probably start unpacking too. T-thank you for showing me around! It was a really interesting trip," Mikado said.

The two continued to pass their farewells before they parted. Kida left for the road away from Izaya while Mikado continued to stand by the stairs of the apartment, waving at the other until he rounded a corner. Izaya wouldn't have minded if Kida had spotted him but either way, it was okay. He didn't have any need for the boy at the moment.

The information broker pushed away from the wall and made his way down the road Kida had headed down. He was barely paying attention to Mikado but heard the heavy sigh that left those pale lips just as he neared the building. The younger boy turned away and started walking up the stairs.

"I wonder if Kanra-san or Setton-san are online…" the boy muttered.

His steps didn't falter in the least even though a strong emotion ran down his spine. If he had to put a name to it, it was a chill of excitement.

Because it had been a pure coincidence this time that he had ran into the new-to-Ikebukuro Tanaka Taro.

The sound of an apartment door opening made him look up, curiosity brimming to the point where he felt giddy to his bones. The edges of his lips stretched further, even showing his teeth. His eyes grew wider, ready to take in even the slightest glimpse of new information.

The sight of Tanaka Taro in the flesh imprinted itself in his memories as light from inside his apartment clearly illuminated his young boyish face.

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><p>He could pick out the boy from among the crowd almost too easily. The boy appeared average but there was a strong feeling that there was something more to the timid look the boy often sported. He had to suppress his desire to laugh out loud whenever he saw the boy.<p>

The time finally came for him to reveal himself to this Tanaka Tarou, as he saw them peering from behind a wall at a very cliché scene of bullying.

"Bullies? You're going to stop them?" Izaya said with a smirk, looking down at the startled Mikado. He flashed the other a grin before stepping forward, slinging an arm over the boy's shoulder in the process.

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><p>"It's rare for you to be in Ikebukuro, Izaya-san," Kida's subdued voice said to him, almost accusingly.<p>

Izaya stared at the blond a while longer before he turned to the shorter man. He could see Mikado's face was tinted with surprise. Kida had probably already mentioned about him to his friend. Izaya idly wondered how much Kida had spilled as his lips twitched into a smile, red eyes boring into the bright blue ones of the dark-haired kid.

When Kida saw the glint of interest the information broker seemed to send to his friend, he quickly tried to avert the attention.

"Oh, he's just a friend of mine!"

Kida was too late, Izaya supposed, for Mikado had already gained more attention from him than it was safe to have. He stood up from the motorcycle and brought a hand to his chest.

"I'm Orihara Izaya. Nice to meet you," he introduced himself.

"I-I'm Ryuugamine Mikado!" the boy stuttered as he bowed to the man. Izaya can't help the remark about how his name sounded like an air conditioner. It had been on his mind since that night. The boy didn't retort angrily to his rude comment, seeming to just accept it. He must have always gotten comments for his bizarre name.

"So…what brings you to Ikebukuro?" Kida interjects, trying valiantly to pull the other's attention away from his friend.

"I came to see someone," Izaya answers, his eyes returning to those blue eyes Mikado owned.

"But I already got in touch with them"

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><p><strong>AN**: Most of it came from the anime directly. Sorry ^^; Please tell me what you think. The emoticons in the chat don't really look like how they're supposed to. You can see what it looks like here: http : / feshnie. livejournal. com/ 11306. html # cutid1 (without spaces)


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